面對愚蠢，我們毫無防禦之力
“面對愚蠢，我們毫無防禦之力。抗議無效，武力無效；理性的言辭充耳不聞；與偏見相悖的事實根本無需被相信——在這樣的時刻，愚蠢之人甚至變得挑剔——而當事實無可辯駁時，它們只是被一推了之，視作無關緊要、無足輕重。”
—— 迪特裡希·朋霍費爾，《獄中書簡》DBW第8卷
迪特里希·朋霍费尔（Dietrich Bonhoeffer，1906–1945）是一位德国路德宗牧师、神学家和反纳粹抵抗者。他因坚决反对阿道夫·希特勒及纳粹政权，以及他关于伦理、门徒训练和基督教抵抗的神学著作而广为人知。1945 年 4 月 9 日，他在弗洛森比爾格（Flossenbürg）集中營被納粹處決，距德國投降僅數周之遙。
這一段話出自他於 1943 年寫的一封信，在信中，他思考了愚蠢的本質，並認為它比惡意更是對真理和正義的巨大敵人。笔者猜想，这位作者大概是在思考为什么大部分的德国人会支持希特勒和纳粹党，心甘情愿地跟随希特勒走向深渊的吧。
“Against stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed—in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical—and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental.”
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Letters and Papers from Prison DBW Vol 8
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian, and anti-Nazi dissident. He is best known for his staunch opposition to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime, as well as his theological writings on ethics, discipleship, and Christian resistance. He was executed by the Nazis on April 9, 1945, at Flossenbürg concentration camp, just weeks before Germany was defeated.
This specific passage is from a letter he wrote in 1943, where he reflects on the nature of stupidity as a greater enemy to truth and justice than malice.
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